The Chunin Exam finals ended with no promotions—Orochimaru's invasion loomed, disrupting the tournament, but Naruto's victory over Neji was the talk of Konoha. He walked through the village, his grin wide as kids cheered, calling him a hero. "Just wait till I'm Hokage!" he shouted, but inside, he was restless. The exams had made him stronger—Jiraiya's training, the Nine-Tails' chakra, his army of clones—but the truth about his Jinchuriki status was still out of reach. The Scroll of Sealing held clues, but the village's secrets were deeper, guarded by power he didn't yet have.Team 7's bond had grown, despite his efforts to keep them at arm's length. Sasuke's rivalry pushed him, Sakura's courage surprised him, and Kakashi's guidance was undeniable. Even Jiraiya, with his loud laughs and cryptic hints, had given him tools to grow. But Naruto's distrust lingered. They were all tied to Konoha, to the Hokage, to the lies about the Nine-Tails. Neji's story had shaken him—fate, seals, being used—but he wasn't ready to trust, not yet.At his apartment, Naruto unrolled the scroll, his fingers tracing the Fourth's seals. The Nine-Tails' chakra was his now, more controlled, but still a beast he barely understood. Beating Neji had shown him power's potential, but also its cost. The crowd's cheers were fleeting; the village's hatred was constant. To get answers—why the Fourth chose him, why the village hid it—he needed more strength, more cunning, more everything.As he trained that night, summoning a thousand clones under the moonlight, Naruto felt the Nine-Tails' chakra pulse, steady and strong. "I'm not your demon," he whispered, his grin gone. The exams were over, but his fight wasn't. Orochimaru's attack was coming, and with it, more chances to grow, to demand the truth. He'd keep his mask on, keep Team 7 at a distance, but every step was toward a day when he'd stand before the Hokage, the village, and force them to see him—Naruto Uzumaki, not a monster, but a ninja who'd tear their secrets apart.
